Blog Archives

1938
The Lasso Girls of Thomas Jefferson High School are featured in today’s issue of Life magazine.

1955
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performs at the Municipal Auditorium as the highlight of the San Antonio Symphony’s 1954-55 season. The Ballet Russe features Native American prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief (right).

1836Santa Anna issues orders for the assault to begin on the following day utilizing four assault columns and one reserve column. A messenger arrives at the Alamo compound with the grim news that reinforcements aren’t coming. Travis gathers his men and informs them of their options. Popular legend has it that this was the moment when Col. William Barret Travis, Commander of the Alamo forces, drew a line in the dirt with his saber and asked those men who were committed to defending the Alamo to the death to cross.

1918 – World War IThe Texas Landmarks Society is honoring the Alamo heroes this morning at 10 a.m. The spots where the funeral pyres of the heroes burned have been marked with tablets and the ceremonies will be held there, in unveiling the tablets. One tablet is at the building of the M. Halff Bros. at Rusk and East Commerce Street and the second at the old Ludlow place across the street.

1966At 8:05 a.m., firefighters finally extinguish the massive five-alarm blaze that consumed Produce Row. The blaze began at 11:30 p.m and raged for over eight hours. At the same time, a four-alarm fire burned the Stemens Card Company on Fredericksburg Road. These two fires required the service of every firefighter in the city. “I’ve never seen as much fire in one night,” said Chief M. L. Rogers.

1937
Completing moving operations 36 hours ahead of schedule, the San Antonio post office department was firmly settled in its new $1,800,000 building at 3 p. m. today. Postmaster Dan Quill had the distinction of mailing the firstair mall letter. He dropped it in the slot at exactly 2:01 p. m. He did not reveal its destination.

1955
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus performs under the big top in San Antonio for the last time. All future performances will be in existing coliseums and stadiums.

1956
Presidential candidate Richard Nixon makes campaign speech in San Antonio and places a wreath at the Alamo.
San Antonians interested in politics went to the Alamo to hear him speak. Sports fans were too busy talking about Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series the night before.

1917 – World War I
Kelly Field is to have the largest enlisted men’s school for mechanics in the United States, according to Col. W. D. Chitty, commander. He announced the arrival Saturday morning of Lieut. S. J. Idsorek from Washington D. C., who will organize the school at once. Additional buildings will be constructed at Kelly Field to take care of this important addition.

1955
San Antonio’s largest building, the Transit Tower, was sold to the Citizen’s Republic Insurance Company for $1 million.

1967President Lyndon B. Johnson speaks in the La Villita Assembly Hall for the state dinner of the National Legislative Conference.

1936Alamo Plaza is decided upon as the location for the cenotaph honoring the Alamo heroes.

1954
Every telephone number in San Antonio will be changed at midnight tonight as special crews switch 127,000 lines to the new metropolitan numbering plan that requires dialing two letters and five digits (right).

1955
An old San Antonio custom, serenading by troubadours in Haymarket Plaza, has been revived today. The practice was discontinued about 10 years ago. Singing by troubadours and señoritas will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each Saturday at the plaza, said acting City Market Manager Thomas Melchor.

1917 – World War I
Making the charge that San Antonio citizens showed neglect in not giving the city’s guardsmen a proper farewell when they left for the training camp in Fort Worth, a member of the First Texas Infantry has written a letter to a friend in San Antonio in which he intimates that if a similar number of soldiers had left the city to join the Kaiser’s army there would have been a larger crowd of applauding friends at the station to see them off.

1929
Studer Camera Company is established by Ben Studer in a small building on the front of a lot at 2118 Main Avenue.

1955
The first black students in San Antonio’s history to be accepted for classes in public high schools with white students have been enrolled in Edgewood High School.

1874
Pope Pius IX creates the San Antonio Catholic diocese as part of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

1917 – World War I
Colonel George W. Brackenridge of San Antonio was today named as a member of the board of regents of the University of Texas by Acting Governor W. P. Hobby to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of J. M. Mathis of Brenham.

1955Edgewood and Alamo Heights school districts decide to integrate on this day, the same day that Emmett Till is murdered in Mississippi. San Antonio School Superintendent Thomas Portwood said he was “going ahead with plans” to integrate white and Negro students during the approaching school term.

1917 – World War I
Major General Henry T. Allen, assigned as commander of the National Army divisions at Camp Travis, is expected to arrive in San Antonio at the end of the week and take up his new duties.

1955 All new police cars are being equipped with beacon-ray emergency red lights that flash revolving red beams as a warning to all. Sixteen lights have been installed and are in operation now, said Capt. Frank Mosel. They are replacing the old blinker lights which were much smaller and flashed only forward.

1968
Glen Campbell and Bob Newhart are performing this week at Hemisfair ’68.

1917 – World War I
Plans for the “Joffre Tribute,” which will be given in San Antonio August 18, are now being made by the San Antonio committee for the Fatherless Children of France. The plans tor the day include a children’s parade which will assemble at 8:20 in the morning at the post office and march through the streets. The children will then give the day to selling French flags and the Lalique medals, especially designed by a distinguished French artist for this work.

1955
The 21st annual North-South All-Star high school football game is held in Alamo Stadium as the culminating event of the week-long Texas High School Coaches’ Association meeting held in the Alamo City. The North team is coached by Mississippi State head coach, Darrell Royal, and the South is coached by Baylor University’s George Sauer. The game ends in a 25-25 tie.

1966
Five unidentified flying objects, UFOs, were reported last night over the Alamo Heights area. A resident claimed that five separate aircraft of amber color appeared, going north to south.

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 1 – 1:45pm Low impact workouts are a great way to get active while reducing the risk of injury! Low Impact Circuit Training classes are easier on the body removing certain exercises that place more stress on the hip & knee joints; running/sprinting and jumping. The goal of each class is to provide a total body workout. Branch Loca […]

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 3:30 – 5pm [For ages 13 to 18 only] Come hang out to cure your boredom and make new friends (or see your old ones). Weekly activities vary, and it's up to you to help decide what we do.Join us as we play your pick from a variety of different video games! Branch Location: Tobin Library Address: 4134 Harry Wurzbach, San Antonio, TX […]

Thursday, May 24, 2018, 4 – 5pm Need help downloading eBooks to your tablet or phone? Sign up for a 30 minute one on-one-session and library staff will assist you in learning how to use your mobile device, tablet, or new laptop in conjunction with downloading digital content from SAPL such as eBooks, eAudiobooks, and movies. Bring your device and account inf […]